Recessed toilet tissue roll holder



S. SARRO RECESSED TOILET TISSUE ROLL HOLDER Jan. 14, 1958 Filed April 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

SILVI'O SARRO BY 5 HTTDRNE'Y Jan. 14, 1958 s. SARRO 2,819,852

RECESSED TOILET TISSUE ROLL HOLDER Filed April 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a IIIIIIHII INVENTOR. Sumo SARRO HTTDRNEY Jan. 14, 1958 s. SARRO RECESSED TOILET TISSUE ROLL HOLDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 19, L956 'IIIIIIIIIIIII/ll if INVENTOR. Srwxo SAERO I HTTDRNEY United States atent O RECESSED TOILET TISSUE ROLL HOLDER Silvio Sari-o, New York, N. Y.

Application April 19, 1956, Serial No. 579,393

1 Claim. (Cl. 24255.53)

This invention relates to toilet tissue roll holders, and more particularly has reference to a device of this nature adapted to be mounted in a recessed portion of a supporting wall, with the holder adapted to hold at least one roll of tissue in a position fully or partially housed in the wall.

While of course recessed roll holders are well known, the main object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for supporting at its ends a roll-carrying core or shaft, said means being designed to facilitate insertion or removal of said core or shaft whenever desired.

To this end, summarized briefly, the invention includes an open front container adapted for mounting in a recess in a wall surface. The container is preferably provided at opposite ends with internally threaded supporting sleeves, aligned coaxially. Threadedly engaged in the sleeves are tubular cylindrical housings, which can be adjusted in an axial direction toward and away from each other to eifect a corresponding adjustment of the distance therebetween. Spring-loaded ball bearing elements are provided in the confronting open ends of the housings, and project partially from the housings so as to be engageable in the open ends of a tubular roll supporting shaft constituting the core of the toilet tissue roll. Due to the adjustment of the housings toward each other, shafts or cores of difierent lengths can be accommodated, and further, the extent to which the ball elements will project into the ends of the core or shaft can be adjustably predetermined.

Still further, means is provided to adjust the tension of the springs associated with the ball elements, to effect a corresponding adjustment as regards the amount of pressure needed to retract the ball elements when the core or shaft is being engaged with or disengaged from the same.

An object of importance is to provide a toilet tissue roll holder especially adapted for facilitating the insertion and removal of a roll support core or shaft.

A second object is to provide means engaging the ends of the core or shaft that will facilitate free rotatable movement thereof when the device is in use.

Another object is to provide a holder that will be particularly attractive, and will be mountable in a wall opening with ease and speed.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing one form of the improved holder mounted in a recess in a wall, only a fragment of which is shown, with a roll of tissue ready for mounting.

fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the fully assembled holder, a supported roll of tissue being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view, still further enlarged, substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing a second modification, on a reduced scale.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a wall W is provided with a rectangular opening 10, and fixedly engaged in said opening in recessed position within the wall is an open front, rectangular container 12, the visible surfaces of which may be chrome-plated or otherwise surface-treated to improve the appearance thereof and to prevent corrosion. Extending about the open front of the container is an outwardly directed peripheral flange 14, bearing against the front surface of the Wall W.

Fixedly secured to the outer surfaces of the end walls 13 of the container 12 and extending outwardly thereof are sleeves 16 aligned coaxially with each other and registered with end openings 18 of the container.

Sleeves 16 are internally threaded, to engage corresponding threads formed externally on cylindrical housings 22. The housings have inner end portions 24 projecting toward each other within the container 12, which portions may be manually turned. In this way, the housings can be adjusted in an axial direction, thus to adjustably set the same at a selected distance from each other.

The housings 22 are formed open at their outer ends, that is, the ends thereof which are threadedly engaged in the sleeves 16. Internal threads 26 are formed in the outer end of each of the housings, receiving a threaded plug or closure 28, the outer face of which may have diametrically opposed recesses 30 receiving the jaws of a spanner wrench or the like, not shown.

Integrally formed'on the inner faces of the closure plugs are annular flanges 32 providing spaces to receive and seat the outer ends of compression coil springs 34 on the bases of said recesses. The other ends of the springs bear against ball bearing elements 36 projecting partially through and engaging against ball seats 38 formed at the inner peripheries of inwardly directed, frusto-conical inner end flanges 40 of the housings.

The opposed housings 22 and associated parts are adapted to detachably and rotatably support a conventional roll of toilet tissue R. The tissue roll R is provided With the conventional tubular core or shaft 42 formed of any suitable material. In order to mount the tissue roll R it is inserted between the housings 22, the end of the roll contacting the protruding ball bearing elements 36 and forcing them inwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. This is against the restraint of the springs 34, and accordingly when the core 42 is in full coaxial alignment with and extends between the housings 22, the springs are free to expand to shift the projecting portions of the ball elements into the opposite ends of core 42. Tissue roll R is thus firmly supported at its ends by the ball bearing elements 36.

It will be understood that by adjusting the housings toward each other, the ball elements 36 are made to bear firmly against core 42 so as to permit adjustments as regards the ease with which the tissue roll R can be inserted or removed. By adjustment of the housings 22 away from each other, the maximum diameter of the portions of the ball elements 36 that project into the ends Cooperating with the axial adjustment of the housingsv 22 themselves is the adjustment in the spring tension effected by threading plugs 28 either toward or away from.

the ball receiving seat 38. When the tension. of each spring is increased, retraction of its respective ball element responsive to the pressure of the laterally shifted core 42 is made more diificult, but if it is desired to reduce said pressure required for mounting or removal of core 42, the plug 28 is backed off from seat 38 to reduce the spring tension.

It will be seen that the invention facilitates the mounting of the device in a wall opening or recess, and it will further be noted'that although the core 42 is normally held against movement from its operative position shown in Fig. 2, it can be readily disengaged for the purpose of replacement or" an exhausted roll with a new one. As previously noted, the length of the core and supported tissue roll can vary within certain limits, due to the provision for adjustment of the housings 22, and further, the freedom of rotation of core 42 and the pressure with which the same bears against the ball elements can be adjusted either by the axial adjustment of the housings, by adjustment of the spring tension, or by both of these adjustments acting in cooperation with each other.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4-6, the device includes, mounted in a recess of wall W, a partly cylindrical, open front container 12 having vertical end walls 13; and having a side wall transversely curved through slightly more than 180 of a circle as shown in Fig. 5. Formed upon the end walls 13 are inwardly projecting sleeves 16 internally threaded to receive cylindrical housings 22- having ball bearing elements 36 therein.

The housings 22 are identical to the housings 22 of the first form. Internally, the construction is identical to that shown in Fig. 3, that is, the ball element 36 is under pressure provided by a spring 34 engaged in an annular seat 32, of a plug 28 threaded into the rear end of the housing 2%. Thus, the housing can be adjusted axially, to space the ball elements of the device selected distances apart, after which the tension of the springs upon the ball elements can be adjusted as desired by selective location of the plugs 28 in the housings.

This form of the invention, like the first form, can be preassernbled as a unit and sold with the ball elements or detents assembled with the open front container. It will merely be necessary under such circumstances to press the container into the recess 10 or 10 as the case may be, and the container can be cemented or otherwise fixedly engaged in said recess.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown a modified construction wherein the container 12 is provided with end walls 13 having central openings 43.

In this form of the invention, the housings 22 are supported in and extend through openings 43. The housing 22 is not externally or internally threaded, and the entire device is characterized, in fact, by a complete absence of threads. Instead, the housing 22 is provided with a longitudinal series of spaced openings 44, opening into the interior of the housing. A plug 28 of cylindrical formation closes one end of thehousing. One end of the plug is formed open to receive the spring 34 thus to provide a seat for one end of the spring, with either end being closed. The other end of the spring impinges against ball element 36 The side wall 32 of the plug 28 is .of substantial length, and is in slidable contact with the wall of the housing 22 Formed in the side wall 32 is a longitudinal series of threaded openings 46, any one of which may be registered with a selected opening 44 of the housing 22". Formed in each end wall 13 is an opening 48,"receiving a threaded bolt 50 having a knurled head 51 to facilitate removal and insertion thereof. The shank of the bolt is of a length such as to permit the same to extend not only through the opening 48, but also through selected openings 44, 46 registered with one another and with the opening 48.

By reason of this arrangement, one can adjust the housing 22 in an axial direction. to a selectedposition, registering one of the openings 44 therein with the opening 48. The holding bolt 50. may now be inserted to an extent sufficient to en a e in th retested rip 44, thus holding the housing 22 in the desired position of axial adjustment. With theshfil k o1? thebolt still inserted only sufficiently to prevent engagement thereof in one of the openings 46 of plug 28 the plug may now be axially adjusted within the housing 22 for the purpose of p aci t e s n under a e ected 5 99% 9? teen When p u has b en, attested, ts. t e des red. e tent. e l is ul n e t d s ssess hrssdsdl in the ec d p nin Th be t this, hq st the P ts. hqisi s. nd c n a is con ected r lation assi rt re ati s? s ment, with the housing in its selected adjusted pos tion relative to h n l and h Plus s it s ls sdas justed position relative to the housing,

While I have illustrated and described the preferred em.- bodiments of my invention, it is to be understood thatl do not limit myself to the precise ,constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications be. made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim, I M I Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

A toilet tissue roll holder adapted for mounting in an opening of a wall, comprising an open front container, sleeves mounted in opp'osite'ends of said container in coaxial alignment, horizontally disposed tubular housings engaged in said sleeves and having confronting ballseats ball bearing elements engaged against said seats and k to jecting outwardly of the housings toward i hty er, springs in the housings bearing against the ball elernehts to yieldably urge the same against said seats, adjustable plugs in the housings providing abutments engaging the springs at the ends of the springs remote from theball elements, and a toilet tissue roll having a tubular core member between the housings and having open ends receiving the projecting portions of the ball said core on movement in a direction perpendicular to the axes'of the ball elements being adapted to bias the ball elements inwardly of the housings against thh festraint of the springs, said housings beiiig rri ou ntled in the sleeves for axial adjustment toward and'away from "@5511 other to correspondingly locate the ball elements at a selected, adjusted distance from each other, the sleeves being internally threaded and the housings being threaded externally to engage the threads of the sleeves, whereby to eifect said adjustments of the housings, the housings in,- cluding, at the ends thereof remote from the ball seats, internal threads and the plugs being externally threaded to engage the internal threads of the housings, whereby to permit adjustment of the plugs toward and awayiro m the ball seats to correspondingly adjust the tensiio n o f the springs. v g 

